Nutritional status of patients in the cardiac ward of a regional hospital

AbstractAim of studyTo assess the nutritional status of patients in the cardiac ward of the Regional Hospital in Zlín, and to analyze the association between nutritional status and selected characteristics of hospitalized cardiac patients.Patients and methodsA group of 236 patients was created by collecting of data of all currently hospitalized patients at randomly selected time points at approximately 3-week intervals (August through December 2012). Nutritional status was assessed using a screening questionnaire developed by the Nutrition and Dietetic Center of the Prague-based Thomayer Hospital. The data were used to determine any association between the risk of malnutrition with sex, age, diagnosis of a heart disease, left ventricular function, associated conditions, length of hospitalization, social background, treatment with some drugs, insomnia, chronic pain, patient mobility, and other factors.ResultsThe criteria of impending malnutrition were met by 67 patients (28.4%) while 3 patients (1.3%) already suffered from malnutrition. Significant risk factors for malnutrition included female sex (malnutrition risk 22% males vs. 37.8% females; p=0.009), age above 76 years (median 70 vs. 78 years; p<0.001), some comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, history of stroke, gastrointestinal tract-related disease, alcohol abuse, malignancy) (p<0.001), long-term immobility (p<0.001), length of hospitalization over 6 days (median 4 vs. 7 days; p